PITTSFIELD, ILL. (RFD-TV) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) raised its national corn yield estimate in October despite a growing season marked by excessive early-season moisture, drought, and damaging weather in parts of the Midwest.
But across Illinois and Missouri, harvest results show how dramatically yields can vary, even within the same farm.
Brett Leahr, an AgriGold field agronomist covering eastern Missouri and western Illinois, joined Market Day Report to discuss harvest results, the impact of this year’s weather and what growers can learn as they plan for next season.
Stronger Yields Despite a Difficult Start
Leahr said many producers in his territory are seeing better-than-expected yields, despite a challenging planting season.
“We were really wet up front to start the season,” Leahr said. “I think this was probably one of my hardest replant years ever.”
As the season progressed, however, yields began to exceed initial expectations in many fields, even after hot and dry conditions developed during grain fill.
Leahr said the results have been surprising, given the variability he has seen across the region.
Water and Terrain Drive Yield Differences
Leahr said yield differences can be dramatic, sometimes from one side of a field to the other.
Early-season moisture contributed to crown rot issues, while the combination of wet conditions early and late-season heat affected stalk strength and standability.
He said low-lying areas and terrace channels have often seen yields fall off, while higher ground on terrace ridges has performed better.
“Anywhere the water has set, it’s really compromised that overall yield,” Leahr said.
He added that flatter fields have generally struggled more in his territory than fields with more elevation variation.
Results have also differed geographically. Leahr said yields farther south in his territory have been unusually strong in some areas, while northern portions have faced more challenges from later planting and persistent moisture.
Multiple Years of Data Can Guide Next Season
As harvest wraps up, Leahr cautioned growers against making long-term management decisions based on a single unusual growing season.
Instead, he recommended looking at multiple years of yield data when evaluating hybrids and making seed selections.
He also encouraged producers to work with their agronomists and trusted advisers to identify hybrids suited to their fields and consider which areas may need to be prioritized during harvest when standability becomes a concern.
“I do think looking at multiple years of data is going to be helpful,” Leahr said.
Reviewing yield results and field conditions can help producers make more informed decisions about hybrid selection, harvest planning and management for the coming season.
Harvest Nears the Finish Line
Leahr said he was working through some of the season’s final plots and preparing to dig into the data as harvest winds down. He said the next step is to use what growers and agronomists learned this year to guide decisions for the 2027 crop.
LEARN MORE: agrigold.com
